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Black Waistcoat: Ode to an Assassin Phaser (3)

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NOTE: Do not give me any suggestions about how to fix this prop.  I am a medical student in his final semester, which means that I'm extraordinarily busy.  I've tried everything I could to fix this problem before abandoning the prop, and I do not have the know-how, time, money or access to resources to pursue the matter further.  Any messages suggesting drilling this or screwing that or some other sort of handy work will be ignored.

I have some bad news; I have ultimately declared my "short" ST:VI Assassin Phaser prop unworkable because it's been experiencing irreparable structural defects since I first got it, largely due to the limitations my friends at Triple-Fiction Productions had to work with, as they were unable to create a more complex, modular prop that can split into its components and reassemble and had to treat it as a one-piece design.

It's the muzzle brake that's the problem - it just keeps coming off and won't stay on no matter what I do or what adhesive I used to try to secure it.  I suspect this has to do with the muzzle brake's weight. It's a solid piece and it's so front-heavy that no amount of adhesive will keep it on the PVC pipe section that forms the barrel connector. 

I think that if the muzzle brake were redesigned to be completely hollow - perhaps made in two pieces instead of one solid piece - and a long, rod-like core or spine, which could be wood, PVC, or metal, were to be inserted and secured throughout the entire prop - the issue may be solved because the rest of the prop could then be screwed down to the spine for structural support. The whole thing could then be reinforced inside with strong, slow-drying adhesive.

Thankfully, this isn't that much of a loss. I've learned a lot about how this prop design was put together and I still have the full-scale version I brought to AWA 2013, which does not have this problem. 

I had originally wanted to get this smaller prop because I believed the larger one to be too cumbersome and potentially dangerous in large crowds, but my experience at AWA ultimately taught me that as long as I was careful about where I swung the prop and how I carried/handled it, nobody would be in any danger; other cosplayers routinely carry around much larger (and more fragile) props than my full-scale Assassin Phaser.

I was able to successfully wield it around for a whole day, posing for photos and often letting other people handle the prop as well, and there were never any close calls. Moreover, I do still have my equally durable prototype "Wrath of Khan" style Phaser Rifle, and I can simply switch to that one if I want to tote around a smaller, "safer" prop. 

However, I was able to do a costume test or two before today's (latest) accident happened. That's another silver lining, because I still have plenty of photos that were taken with the prop, like this one, taken from the most recent test I did with my unique black-and-gold variant of the Captain's Waistcoat worn by James T. Kirk in "Star Trek: Generations" and Pavel A. Chekov in "Star Trek: Of Gods and Men."
Image size
2193x2725px 1.12 MB
Make
Canon
Model
Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS
Shutter Speed
1/60 second
Aperture
F/2.8
Focal Length
5 mm
ISO Speed
250
Date Taken
Jan 24, 2014, 4:00:40 AM
Sensor Size
4mm
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